PITTSBURGH — José Quintana and the Pirates are in a strange spot right now.
The veteran left-hander is coming off a 2021 season in which he labored to a 6.43 ERA. In a sense, he revitalized his career in Pittsburgh, now with a 3.70 ERA after his 19th start of the season Saturday, a seven-inning shutout effort in a 1-0 win over the Miami Marlins.
It’s strange because of what might come next. If Vegas were taking odds on Pirates most likely to be traded at the deadline, Quintana would probably be the betting favorite. The trade deadline always looms large for veterans on a one-year deal putting up the numbers Quintana has.
Realistically, if the Pirates don’t trade Quintana, they risk losing him for nothing as a free agent at the end of the season. It’s understandable if Pirates fans view that as a worthwhile risk, but the only opinions that will really matter are those in the Pirates’ front office.
So, then, each start Quintana makes could be seen as a sort of mini-audition. If teams around the league in need of starting pitching help are looking for one last bit of proof that Quintana is worth a trade, then Saturday was a pretty good sign.
Quintana was nailing from the jump. He struck out two in a 1-2-3 first, then another in a 1-2-3 second. Two runners reached in the third on a throwing error and a single, but Quintana cut them down with a double-play ball. Two more singles in the fourth, but Quintana worked around it. He used two more double plays, in the fifth and seventh, respectively, to turn in one of the more efficient outings from a Pirate this season, lasting seven innings on 81 pitches, issuing no walks and allowing just four hits.
It’s the second time Quintana has lasted seven innings this season, the third time he’s navigated a start without permitting a walk, the seventh time he’s allowed four hits or fewer in an appearance, his fifth quality start, tied for the team lead.
It added up to a winning equation, marking just the eighth time this season the Pirates have scored fewer than four runs in a game and won.
Obviously, they only needed one run, and it came in the sixth. Left fielder Ben Gamel led off with a single, and right fielder Cal Mitchell moved him over with a single of his own. Gamel eventually got to third on a fielder’s choice and stood there with two outs. Designated hitter Yoshi Tsutsugo then plated him, ripping a single through the left side of the infield.
From there, Quintana took care of the seventh, right-hander Wil Crowe battled through a scoreless eighth and David Bednar slammed the door in a near-flawless ninth.
With that, it’s possible Quintana has made his last appearance in a Pirates uniform this season. That isn’t a prediction, per se. On his current schedule, Quintana would make only one more start before the deadline, next week against the Philadelphia Phillies. After this one, though, it would be understandable if another team sprung at the chance to bring Quintana into their fold.
The main question now remains the Pirates’ asking price. In the end, it’s hard to call the transaction anything but a success.
The Pirates looked for a cheap, veteran arm who could eat innings effectively. Perhaps one they could flip at the deadline for a couple of prospects. They found that. Quintana looked for an opportunity to show he’s still got some gas in the tank, and he found it. Saturday was just the clearest evidence yet.
